iZotope Releases Iris, A Musical Sound Design Instrument

iZotope has released the new Iris software instrument – billed as “a new concept in sound design and sample manipulation in the form of a visual instrument.”

iZotope Iris

Users can bring any audio file into Iris, and delve into Iris’s spectrogram to extract, layer, manipulate, and discover new sounds from within that file. And then play the completely custom sound instantly from any MIDI controller. With extended synthesis features, hundreds of presets, and 4 GB of source material (including recordings of insects, animals, machines, vintage synthesizers, musical instruments), Iris will be a useful tool for sound design, musical inspiration, and sonic experimentation, as users can create new textures and soundscapes by layering multiple sounds from similar or diverse audio sources.

And users can rely on intelligent root note detection to help shape musical material from noise, ambient textures, and soundscapes, then use advanced controls to tweak, modulate, and add effects to taste – all powered by iZotope’s DSP.

In addition, iZotope has released two complementary sound libraries designed exclusively for use with Iris: Glass and Wood. A bundled version of Iris, Glass and Wood, Iris+2, is also available at a special price of $199 – see below for more pricing details.

Glass ($49) is a “shimmering collection of glass ambiences, reimagined via Iris’s spectral selection capabilities. A lyrical study in lush chords, shining leads, and soothing basses, Glass transforms sonic experiments into accessible musical inspiration. Within the 100 patches of Glass, you’ll hear exploits with bottles, mirrors, marbles, glasses, shards, and even glassblowing torches. The resulting sounds are inviting, uplifting, and unusual. This library is for players exploring original sound design in a musical and meaningful context.”

Wood ($29) is “an adventurous assortment of creatively-recorded samples, all produced from our friends, the trees. Made entirely of unusual wooden encounters, Wood fully embodies the creative potential of Iris’s visual selections. From basket smashing to door slamming, from drumming on guitars to grandma’s creaky deckchair, Wood pushes musical boundaries as each texture evolves. Blending dense and earthy tones into complex layers, Wood’s 100 patches sound like an avant-garde composition right out of the box.”

Iris is available now for a special introductory price of $149 through April 30, 2012, a $100 savings off the MSRP of $249.  Iris+2 (including Glass and Wood Sound Libraries) is available now for $199, a $100 savings off the MSRP of $299.  Glass ($49) and Wood ($29) are also now available for individual purchase, and compatible exclusively with Iris.

For more information, and to hear and/or purchase Iris, visit http://www.izotope.com/iris.

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